Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone vs Femke Bol: Who has the better 400m timing leading up to Paris Olympics 2024

Sydney McLaughlin and Femke Bol will be two of the top athletes to watch out for in the 400m sprint at the 2024 Olympics. Both the sprinters have clocked some impressive times in the distance, but McLaughlin leads the two going into Paris.

The American is typically a specialist in the 400m hurdles and has successfully scripted history multiple times in that event. At the Tokyo Olympics, McLaughlin set a world record in the event, clocking a 51.46 to become the first woman to breach the 52-second mark. From there, she only got better, rewriting her world record with a 50.68 in July of 2022.

A year later, Sydney McLaughlin made her professional debut in the 400m sprint at a Diamond League meet in Paris, France, achieving a 49.71 to finish second. A month later, the Olympic champion set a world lead of 48.74 in the event, racing at the USATF Championships in Eugene, Oregon. McLaughlin's 48.74 puts her 10th on the all-time list, and just 0.04 seconds shy of the American record.

Meanwhile, Dutch track and field star Femke Bol is also a specialist in the 400m hurdles. A handful of weeks after McLaughlin became the first woman to breach the 52-second mark in the event, Bol joined her on that elite list with a 51.45. This makes her the second-fastest woman of all time.

In the 400m, Bol trails McLaughlin by half a second. Her personal best in the event is a 49.24, which she set on an indoor track just on February 18th, 2024 while competing in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Her time makes an indoor world record. On an outdoor track, the Dutchwoman's personal best is a 49.44 she ran in 2022, making Sydney McLaughlin the favorite for the win between the two.

Sydney McLaughlin shares pictures from her NYC trip

Meanwhile, Sydney McLaughlin hasn't yet been on track for her 2024 season, but she has certainly been busy. In late January the American announced the launch of her much-awaited authorial debut 'Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith.’

Since then, McLaughlin has been on a book tour and even visited New York to talk about her latest endeavor. While in the Big Apple, the sprinter spoke to multiple outlets about her athletic journey and her book, including The Kelly Clarkson Show, and the Today Show.

McLaughlin recently took to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes snaps of her time in New York, writing,

“Wow, completely blown away by what an amazing trip this was in NYC. I was able to connect and meet with so many amazing people, especially during book signings, who just truly were such lights to the world. Thank you all for the support and love, vulnerability can often feel open ended, because you can never be sure how others will respond. Yet, there were so many encouraging and inspiring moments that brought so much joy.”